A viewer (user) typically tunes a television channel with a remote control that may directly interact with a television set or through a set top box (STB). The television set may support digital or analog television transmission. The television (possibly through the STB) may receive the television transmission through different types of networks, including television cable, radio frequency (RF), satellite, and telephone. The different types of networks may further have different variations. For example, a telephone network may support digital transmission, including circuit switched or packet switched services, and may provide an interface to Internet stream services.
FIG. 1 shows an arrangement 100 for tuning a television 103 in accordance with prior art. In the embodiment, television 103 displays a selected program, although variations of the embodiment may utilize other display instruments, including a personal computer (PC) and an associated monitor. Television 103 accesses signals that convey broadcast programs from a network 107 through a set top box (STB) 105. Network 107 can correspond to one of different types of networks, including satellite, cable, and telephone networks. STB 105 processes signals from network 107 so that the processed signal can be utilized by television 103 for showing a selected broadcast program on a monitor that is associated with television 103. (The combination of STB 105 and television 103 is referred as broadcast processing system 101.) A viewer (that may be referred to as a user) controls television 103 by sending commands from a remote control 109 over a wireless communications path 111 that typically operates in an infrared or radio frequency (RF) transmission spectrum.
From the perspective of the viewer, a major objective is to watch a broadcast program when the viewer wants to view the broadcast program, regardless of the delivery of the transmission and the location of the viewer. Typically, the viewer may determine the availability of the selected broadcast program from a magazine or newspaper and subsequently initiate the viewing of the broadcast program through a remote control. In such a case, the viewer typically must remember the time of the broadcast program; otherwise, the viewer may miss the broadcast program or may initiate the viewing of the broadcast program after the broadcast program has started. Alternatively, the viewer may view an electronic program guide (EPG) that is provided by the set top box and shown by the associated television. The viewer can view the program schedule and select a program for viewing through a remote control.
For each of the above scenarios, a viewer selects a channel through a remote control. However, information about broadcast programs is readily available, in which content about the program is presented. For example, a television network (e.g. NBC and MTV) may support an Internet web site that provides schedule and content information about programs being broadcast by the television network. The viewer may wish to select a program based on content information through an interactive environment. Moreover, the viewer often desires mobility to control program selection within or outside the viewer's home. Consequently, it would be an advancement of the art if apparatuses and methods would provide untethered control to a television that utilizes and integrates an interactive environment to obtain broadcast information for selection a broadcast program.